


Don’t Call Smurf

by RizzoChinchilla (Erica_likes_to_write)



Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: M/M, Protective Deran, Worried Adrian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 06:20:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15746013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erica_likes_to_write/pseuds/RizzoChinchilla
Summary: When a job takes longer than planned, a worried Adrian goes to Smurf for information. Deran is not happy.





	Don’t Call Smurf

It had been a long day. Deran was tired and overheated. And sick of his brothers. Everything about them was annoying him - their smell, the sound of their voices, the way Craig kept singing to himself. J was definitely the least annoying. The kid knew how to keep his mouth shut. But his brothers, Craig especially, just never knew when to shut up.

Everything was going wrong and the job was complicated to begin with. What was supposed to be fairly quick kept dragging on. Deran just wanted to get back home. He wished he were behind the bar at that very moment, serving drinks instead of burying evidence in the middle of the desert.  
Deran was just thinking about how deodorant was no match for the sweltering desert heat when the burner phone went off. All four men stopped digging and looked at each other. This wasn’t going to be good. Only one person had the number to the burner phone.

Pope answered with his usual lack of pleasantries. “What?” Pope listened for a moment, his forehead wrinkling. His eyes met Deran’s and he held out the phone to him. “It’s for you.”

Deran took the phone hesitantly. “Smurf?”

“Hi, baby. How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Good. Listen, we’ve got a little problem. I have a visitor here at the house and he says he won’t leave until he talks to you.”

Oh fuck. Deran’s heart began hammering in his chest.

“Baby?”

“Put him on the phone.”

“Deran?”

“Adrian, what the fuck?!” Deran whisper-screamed into the phone.

“You said three days. It’s been a week!”

Deran fought to keep his voice calm even though he was seething. He could see Pope glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. Craig looked mortified for him and J was avoiding eye contact all together. Deran lowered his voice. “I’m so pissed at you right now.”

“Deran, I’m worried. Are you okay? When are you coming back?”

“I’m fine. Go home now. And put Smurf back on the phone.”

“Okay. But we’re talking about this when you get back.” There was a pause and then Adrian’s voice softened. “Are you mad at me?”

“Put Smurf back on the phone.”

“Hi baby. You know I can’t have your boyfriend coming to the house asking about jobs.”

“It won’t happen again. I’ll take care of it.”

“I hope so, baby. I wouldn’t want to have to take care of it myself.”

Deran froze. “It won’t happen again.” Deran hung up and handed the phone back to Pope, who was looking at him with raised eyebrows. Craig and J were silent. Deran mustered up all the bravado left in him. “What? You guys got something to say?”  
Pope just shook his head. “No, looks like you got it all under control.”

Craig let out a laugh and Deran shook his head, picking up a shovel. “Fuck you guys.”

 

Two days later Adrian came home from class to find Deran on the couch, smoking and going through paperwork for the bar. Adrian still hadn’t gotten used to the apartment. He still found it jarring to see Deran there on the couch and to know the apartment was his, that Deran was his. Adrian approached tentatively. “Hey. I didn’t know you were back.”

Deran responded without looking up. “Got in a couple hours ago.”

“I wish you had called me. I would have ditched my last class. I missed you.” Adrian shuffled foot to foot nervously as he received no response from Deran. This was bad. Deran was really mad. Adrian sat next to him and tentatively touched his shoulder.. “Look, I’m sorry, alright? I hadn’t heard from you in a week . . .”

Deran turned to him, roughly shoving his hand off his shoulder and cutting him off mid-sentence. “I don’t care if you don’t hear from me for three fucking years. You don’t go to Smurf. You don’t go to Smurf for anything. I thought that would be pretty fucking obvious.”

“Deran, I . . .”

“You know what you did? You gave that bitch more power over me than she already had. I just can’t believe you could be so stupid. Although after the shit you pulled with the coke, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.”

Adrian bit his lip as tears filled his eyes and he looked away from Deran. Deran’s words had wounded him. Adrian had been stupid about the drugs and getting Adrian out of trouble had cost Deran big. Adrian was still struggling with the shame and guilt so to have Deran throw it in his face was brutal.

Deran stood. “I’m gonna sleep at the bar tonight.”

Adrian felt panic fill him. He followed Deran as he stalked into the bedroom. “Deran, come on. It was a mistake. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” Deran grabbed his duffle bag from the closet and when he turned toward his dresser, Adrian was right there. He pressed his body up against Deran’s and wrapped his arms around him. “Please, Deran.”

The words were soft and pleading. Deran’s expression softened for a moment and Adrian started to relax but then Deran placed his palms on Adrian’s chest and pushed him away. “I don’t know if this is going to work.”

“What?!”

“I need some time. I need to think.”

Adrian watched Deran throw some clothes in his bag. He was looking anywhere but at Adrian. Adrian followed as Deran went out to the living room, grabbing his keys and phone. He opened the front door before finally looking at Adrian. He had to have seen the devastation and panic on Adrian’s face and he rubbed the back of his hair, as was his way when he was uncomfortable. “I’ll call you.”

The door slammed shut. Adrian felt lost in the apartment with the big windows and the fancy kitchen. The truth was, he loved it there when Deran was there too. But when he was alone there, he felt lost, untethered. He needed Deran’s arms around him, grounding him and holding him down. Being away from Deran was a physical discomfort to Adrian. Like losing a fucking leg.

 

Adrian awoke to Deran’s weight on top of him. Deran’s hands held his face, his beard scratched against Adrian’s lips. Adrian’s eyes fluttered open and Deran gently slid his knees between Adrian’s thighs. “Hey.” He breathed the words softly against Adrian’s mouth.

“Hey.” It was dark and Adrian didn’t know how long he had been sleeping. He felt disoriented and also wrecked from the fear and panic from earlier. Adrian turned his head away from Deran. “You walked out on me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why did you do it?”

Deran rolled off of Adrian with a sigh. “I don’t know. I was scared, I guess.”

Adrian turned toward Deran, pushing himself up to lean on one elbow. “Scared of what?”

“Knowing you were there with Smurf when I was so far away scared the shit out of me. Losing this . . . you. Having Smurf take it all away.” Deran looked into Adrian’s eyes. “If she realizes what you mean to me, she’ll try to take it away. I can’t go back. Not after having all this.”

Adrian nodded. “Well, I’m scared too. And you walking out on me tonight was messed up.”

“I know.”

“And fucking cruel.”

Deran touched Adrian’s cheek looking equal parts ashamed and exhausted. Adrian felt himself softening. “Lucky for you, I’ve never been able to stay mad at you for long.”

Deran looked at him a moment before grabbing him by the arm and pulling him close. “Come here.” Deran rolled on top of him and tangled his fingers through Adrian’s hair. “I’m sorry I hurt you. Just stay away from Smurf and other potentially life threatening situations and I’ll try not to be a dick. Does that work?”

Adrian smiled. “Yeah, that works.”


End file.
